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Contact: Steven Henke
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2017 Desert AIDS Walk – Our Community in Action

France Joli will perform Disco Classics

PALM SPRINGS, CA (September 27, 2017) Entertaining the troops at the Desert AIDS Walk will be disco diva France Joli, who in 1979, at the age of 16, unveiled her dance now-classic “Come To Me” before a crowd of 5,000 gay men (and their loved ones) during Fire Island’s legendary midnight seaside benefit Beach ’79. In addition to singing “Come To Me” live following the Walk, Joli will perform her smash hit “Gonna Get Over You” and her famous disco medley, a compilation of 11 solid golden oldies made popular by other artists.

No stranger to Palm Springs, Joli filmed the video for her 2012 single “Hallelujah” in the High Desert, and appeared at that year’s Jeffrey Sanker’s The White Party. In 2014 she appeared as part of the First Ladies of Disco at Evening Under the Stars. “I never pass up an opportunity to spend quality time in Palm Springs,” says the vocalist, “and I can’t wait to be there at the finish line to congratulate all walkers for a job well-done.”

Here are video links to both “ComeTo Me” (in the day) and “Hallelujah” (shot in the High Desert in 2014, as I mention).

Joli is available for pre-event media interviews by phone from her home in Montreal, and will fulfill in-person and on-camera requests on Friday, October 20.

On October 21 over 2,000 community members will unite in Ruth Hardy Park to walk in the 31st Desert AIDS Walk in support of Desert AIDS Project, presented by Desert Regional Medical Center.  This year’s walk, with the theme of ‘Our Community In Action’, will follow a 2.5 mile route through downtown Palm Springs and is notable for the diversity of community members who come together as teams each year to support Desert AIDS Project and our twelve community partners – including LGBT Center of the Desert, Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, One Palm Springs Neighborhood Organization, Palm Springs Unified School System’s Gay Straight Alliances and United Way of the Desert, who will be making Desert AIDS Walk the final walk in its annual Nine Weekly Walks as they prepare for their annual Tram Road Challenge event.

Desert AIDS Walk 2017 begins at 8 am and will feature live entertainment, a Health & Wellness Festival, sponsored by Walgreen’s, featuring over 40 vendor booths, and a kid’s activity zone. Desert AIDS Project CEO, David Brinkman is expected to update the community on the progress D.A.P. has made in eliminating HIV AIDS and the work that remains to be done to ensure community health becomes a reality for every resident of the Coachella Valley.

Schedule of Events

8:00 Health & Wellness Festival Opens LIVE DJ Breakfast courtesy of Koffi
8:30 Community Leaders Welcome Walkers
9:00 France Joli Performs
9:30 Walk Steps Off on 2.5 Mile Route
10:30 Walkers return to Ruth Hardy Park Health & Wellness Festival Continues Complimentary lunch and snacks courtesy of multiple sponsors.

2017 Desert AIDS Walk Sponsors

Presented by Desert Regional Medical Center.

Major sponsors to date: Walgreens, Grace Helen Spearman Foundation, Gilead, The Desert Sun, and KMIR-KPSE, Desert Oasis Healthcare, Wintec Energy, Southern California Gas-a Sempra Energy Utility, Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Other Sponsors include: Revivals Stores, Jus Chillin, Koffi, MD VIP, William J. Grimm, DO, SYSCO Riverside, The Standard Magazine, Gay Desert Guide, and CV Independent

About Desert AIDS Project
Desert AIDS Project (D.A.P.) is a Federally Qualified Health Center in Palm Springs, CA offering D.A.P. Total Care – a combination of medical, dental, counseling, social services, support groups, alternative therapies, in-house pharmacy and lab, and other health and wellness services.  D.A.P.’s sexual health clinic, The DOCK, offers STD testing and treatment, Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP), Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (PEP), and HIV and HCV testing. D.A.P.’s Get Tested Coachella Valley campaign, the nation’s first region-wide free HIV testing and access to care initiative, was recognized by the White House for helping to bring about an AIDS-free future.  D.A.P. has earned a “Four Star” rating from Charity Navigator for the sixth consecutive year – landing D.A.P. in the top 6% of nonprofits rated. The distinction recognizes that we exceed industry standards in terms of our financial health, accountability, and transparency. Visit www.desertaidsproject.org, www.thedockclinic.org, and www.gettestedcoachellavalley.org to learn more.

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